Drinking soda link with violence

On Tuesday researchers from the reveals a shocking truth about teenage violence and the amount of soda they drank.

High-school students in inner-city Boston who intake over five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks weekly were between nine and 15-percent probably to engage in an aggressive act than their counterparts who drank fewer.

A professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, David Hemenway says they discovered a strong association between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent these students. The teens were not only in violent against peers but also violent in dating relationships, and against siblings.

However, he emphasized that the finding need further research.

The new study based on answers to surveys completed by 1,878 public-school students aged 14 to 18 in the inner Boston area, where Hemenway claims crime rates were much higher than in other area.

Most of the respondents in the study were Hispanic, African-American or mixed; a small number of Asian or white participated in the study.

Among the query were how much carbonated non-diet soft drink, measured in 12-ounce (355-millilitre) cans, the teens had drunk in the last seven days.

Researchers also asked them on whether they carried weapons like, drank alcohol or smoked, or had showed violence against peers, family members and partner.

The answers showed that those who drink more sodas tend to be more violent.

Amongst those who drank one or no cans of soft drink weekly, 23 percent held a gun or a knife; 15 percent committed violence towards a partner; and 35 percent had been violent towards peers.

On the groups composed of people who drank 14 cans a week, 43 percent carried a gun or a knife; 27 percent had been violent towards a partner; and more than 58 percent had been violent towards peers.

In general, teens who consumed more sugars were between nine and 15 percent more prone in showing hostile behavior compared with low consumers, even when society and other confounding factors got taken into account.

The same case found on people, who consume alcohol or tobacco.

Hemenway said the study had integrated a couple of questions mean to take a children’s home background into account, which includes whether the teen had taken a meal with his family in the preceding days.

The study, which can be read in a British journal, Injury Prevention, is going to revive memories of the “Twinkie Defence,” a US legal landmark in which a killer successfully contended that his behavior influenced by eating junk food.